Celebrating Global Plaza and SIG/III

by
Yin Zhang

Yin
Zhang is the SIG/III 2004-2005 chair. She can be reached by email at
Kent State University at yinzhang@slis.kent.edu.

The
2004 Annual Meeting marked the third anniversary of the Global
Information Village Plaza, an innovative and highly applauded
program that was originally proposed and later run by Nadia Caidi
and Michel Menou. Through their initiative and dedication the event
has turned into a successful forum for exploring and discussing
international information issues and problems by engaging ASIS&T
members across the board, domestic and international. From the very
beginning, Nadia and Michel adopted an innovative format that allows
all participants to fully and freely explore and discuss
international information issues. Over the past three years, they
have worked diligently to ensure that the most current and urgent
issues are explored, and that the full, broad and on-going
participation of all interested information professionals is
achieved.

The Global Plaza represents a welcome addition to the array
of SIG/III programs, including the International Paper Contest, the
InfoShare program and other technical sessions at the Annual
Meetings, which all help put SIG/III in a better position to fulfill
its goals:

Promote better awareness among ASIS&T members and
information professionals of the importance of international
cooperation.

Facilitate and enhance better communication and
interaction among ASIS&T members and their foreign
colleagues on information issues.

Develop an international network of digital scholars
and experts on digital libraries and information technology in
developing countries.

Provide a forum for exploration and discussion of
international information issues and problems.

The success of the Global Plaza as well as that of other
SIG/III programs is the result of the dedication of our officers and
members who work hard to make SIG/III meaningful and beneficial to
so many people. If awards are any indication of success, then we
must be doing something right: since its inception, SIG/III has won
the SIG-of-the-Year Award eight times and has even made ASIS&T
history by winning this award three years in a row.

This
success can be attributed to our broad membership base and an
increasing interest in international information issues among
ASIS&T members. Currently, SIG/III has about 150 active members
from many countries, with diverse backgrounds in both academic and
professional worlds. There are 460 subscribers to the SIG/III
listserv. Our officers are actively involved in international
research and professional work. Now we are fortunate to have many
long-time officers on board: Sue O'Neill Johnson, Nathalie Leroy,
Bahaa El-Hadidy, Toni Carbo, Michel J. Menou, Norman Horrocks, Liwen
Vaughan, Yunfei Du and Nadia Caidi.We also have brand new officers, Faizur Rahman and Abebe
Rorissa, who have joined the board to serve as communication
officers. Our network of digital scholars from developing countries
has been quickly expanding. In the past three years (2002-2004), we
have attracted more than 150 information professionals from 35
developing countries to participate in the International Paper
Contest. Many of the participants subsequently have taken leadership
roles in the information profession both in their countries and
internationally. Some become fresh driving forces in SIG/III Ė
Duncan Omole is serving as the SIG/III Annual Meeting program chair,
and Merlyna Lim is serving as the assistant chair (outside the
United States).

We feel really grateful for all the outpouring support from
other SIGs, chapters, individual ASIS&T members, the ASIS&T
Board of Directors and headquarters, and public as well as private
organizations. It is always touching to see so many colleagues and
friends show up at the International Reception, bring and buy items
at the Silent Auction and buy raffle tickets to raise money for
ASIS&T membership for information professionals in developing
countries. It is also fun for us to hear different languages, learn
about different cultures and enjoy the food and entertainment at the
International Reception.

To keep SIG/III moving forward, we are always looking for
more participation in SIG/III activities and for new initiatives.
Nadia and Michel have set a wonderful example of how we can work
creatively and productively to achieve SIG/IIIís goals. For more
information about the Global Plaza and other programs, including
archives and photos of these events, please check our website at www.asis.org/SIG/SIGIII/.